| 55th Reunion San Diego |
|
|
| 55th Reunion San Diego |
|
Click Here for the list of registered classmates
Dear Classmates, Spouses and Friends of the Class of 1963,We are pleased to announce that our Class of 1963 plaque has been permanently mounted at The Mt. Soledad National Veterans Memorial (MSNVM) in La Jolla, CA. Photos of the Memorial and the plaque are shown below.
We began to design this attractive black granite plaque three years ago in preparation for our 55th Class Reunion in San Diego in the fall of 2018. This initiative by the 55th reunion committee, with strong support from our Class officers, resulted in a fitting tribute to the aspirations and accomplishments of our classmates. In addition, at the 55th Class reunion the director of the Class of 1963 Center for Academic Excellence (CAE), Dr. Bruce Bukowski, formally accepted a copy of this plaque to be mounted in the Class of 1963 CAE in Annapolis.
The original plaque is now located at the MSNVM on wall designated "JJ" in a location that overlooks the Pacific Ocean and Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. We urge all of you, both San Diego residents and visitors, to take the time to visit Mount Soledad and view the plaque. It is truly a beautiful location and is considered one of the most unique memorials in America as it is the only memorial that honors veterans, living or deceased, from the Revolutionary War to the current war on terrorism.
Your 55th Reunion Committee
Click Here for the Phillip Marsden's 55th Reunion Final ReportClick Here for the 55th Reunion Final Financials
Click Here for the 55th Reunion ProgramClick Here for the 55th Reunion Class Dinner Program
Click Here for the 55th Reunion Class Luncheon Program
Click Here for the 55th Reunion Memorial Service Program
Click Here for photos from the 55th Reunion
Classmates,We hope you all had a safe and stress-free journey home. Here in San Diego, we are decompressing from sharing a wonderful (but hectic for us!) three and half days with many of you over the 55th Reunion week-end.
One of the more popular features of this reunion was a series of posters displayed in the Marriott Hotel Hospitality Suite. These posters showed scenes and headlines from each of our four years at USNA. Additional posters presented a summary of graduates who distinguished themselves "Beyond Mother B" and names of those who served in Vietnam. All these posters are now on the Class website. See the posters below this message. (Note: Please let us know if your name is missing from the VN poster as we intend to continually update this poster. Use the email address below and also notify Steve Coester at "scoester@cfl.rr.com" .)
We are now in the process of tying up loose ends; paying the final bills and beginning to evaluate the results of our planning over the last two and a half years. One task is to prepare a lessons-learned file that can support those preparing future reunions. We would very much like to have your inputs on the those features of the 55th Reunion that you liked and, equally important, what you didn't like or thought could be done better. Please send your comments to Phillip Marsden at "psmarsden63@gmail.com" .
We enjoyed meeting and inter-acting with each of you who made the trip to San Diego for the 55th Reunion. It was a special event for all of us and we hope to see you at future Class reunions.
Quality '63,
Your 55th Reunion Committee
Click Here for 1959-1960 posterClick Here for 1960-1961 poster
Click Here for 1961-1962 poster
Click Here for 1962-1963 poster
Click Here for Beyond Mother B poster
Click Here for Thermodynamics poster
Click Here for Vietnam poster (Updated 6/3/21)
Click Here for Chuck Stone poster
For anyone who wants to download the posters to their computer: On Windows,click the poster link on the reunion page which should open the poster. Then with your cursor on the open image, right click and choose "save as ...". Then save the pdf image to your desk top or to whatever folder you have set up on your computer. Then it is yours to do with as you wish. On Mac click on the file menu on the top line of your browser and select "Export as PDF"
Due to recent cancellations, we have extra Navy-Notre Dame football game and Navy Tailgate tickets available. The football tickets are in our Class seating area. If you or you know of a friend who is interested, please contact Lee and Sue Cargill at leecargill@sbcglobal.net or 619-437-4866.Don't delay! First come, first served.
Also from Richard Kell: I have one extra ticket for the game. Not exactly sure where it is as the tickets are at "Will Call". Not with 63 as these were purchased through Blue & Gold. kellusna@tampabay.rr.com
Classmates,Your 55th Reunion is only 10 days away and we are working hard to make it one of your most memorable Class reunions. To help you plan your trip I have included two items - the Reunion Schedule is below and attached is an updated file of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) that include information on the expected weather and dress codes.
Looking forward to seeing you at the 55th. Go Navy, Beat Notre Dame!
Phillip Marsden '63
619-318-6364Click Here for the latest reunion schedule.
Click Here for Frequently Asked Questions.
For those of you wondering about the 55th Reunion schedule of events, here is the latest:Wednesday 24 October
1200-1800 Registration at the Marriott SpringHill Suites
1600-1800 Registration Reception at the Marriott SpringHill Suites
Thursday 25 October
0900 - 1730 Registration at the Marriott SpringHill Suites
1800 - 2200 Class Reception and Dinner on the USS Midway
Friday 26 October
1000 - 1100 Class Memorial Service at Fort Rosecrans
1230-1500 Class Luncheon at the Adm Kidd Convention Center
TBD Individual Company Events that evening
Saturday 27 October
1400 - 1700 Navy Alumni Tailgate at SDCCU Stadium parking lot
1700 - 2100 Navy/ND Football game at SDCCU Stadium
Notes:
(1) On Thursday through Sunday San Diego Fleet Week will be in full swing with open ship visits and static displays on the Broadway Pier across the street from the Marriott Hotel.
(2) Bus schedules to/from the reunion hotels in support of these events will be provided at registration check-in.
(3) A list of company reps will be provided at registration check-in if you need information on specific company events for Friday evening.
Classmates, Your 55th Reunion is just a month away! The Committee is busy tying up the loose ends and completing the myriad of tasks to make this one of the your most memorable Class reunions. Here are some late breaking details:· The football game is expected to be a sellout with over 60,000 tickets sold already.We will have more details at registration on Fleet Week activities and Friday's "Come Around".· A Navy/USMC flyover is planned.
· Even though it is exam week, we expect nearly 700 midshipmen to attend.
· The Navy Tailgate expects up to 5000 attendees, one of their largest ever!
· San Diego Fleet Week will offer exhibits of innovative equipment, static displays and ship visits all weekend, all on the pier right across the street from the Marriott hotel.
· The local Alumni Association is planning a "Come Around" reception on board the Midway Friday night.
Do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. Looking forward to seeing you soon!
Beat Notre Dame!
Phillip Marsden
619-318-6364
Classmates, We have a little over a month to go before our 55th Reunion here in San Diego 24 – 27 October. Your Reunion Committee is working hard on many last minute details in order to make this one of your best reunion experiences. Here are some updates.
· Two hundred classmates and widows have registered and, with their guests, we have over 500 attendees!Our classmate, Fred Kaiser, has set up an on-line store for 55th Reunion themed items including the ones shown below. Orders will be accepted until 26 September when the store must close so that Fred can process the orders in time for the reunion. Check out the selection at this link https://stores.inksoft.com/usna63.· Bravo to Twelfth and Twenty-third companies who are leading the way with over 40 attendees each.
· For our early arrivals, the first good chance to meet and greet is 1600-1800 Wednesday at the Registration Reception at the Marriott. This will be held in our Hospitality Suite at the Marriott with an unparalleled view of the San Diego waterfront.
· Our Class Dinner on the USS Midway on Thursday night will kick-off the reunion with a gala reception and dinner. The evening will be highlighted by remarks from the Superintendent followed by some entertainment you don’t want to miss.
· Friday will have a Memorial Service at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery followed by a Class luncheon.
· Saturday is the afternoon tailgate followed by a win over Notre Dame!
· Our long reunion week-end coincides with San Diego’s annual Fleet Week celebration. Numerous activities are planned and include having a Navy and Coast Guard ship open for general visiting right in front of the downtown Marriott reunion hotel!
We are looking forward to seeing you at the 55th!
Your 55th Reunion Committee
Click Here for the article at http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/military/sd-me-fleet-week-20180522-story.html.
Classmates,We are pleased that registrations for our 55th class reunion in San Diego continue to increase at a good rate. As of 28 April, we have received registrations from 161 classmates for total number of attendees of 306. We are planning for a total attendance somewhere between 450 to 500, so we are well over half-way there with 6 months to go!
However, if you plan to join us in San Diego this Fall but have not registered, you may want to register soon - especially if you want football tickets in our block seating area! In just over a month, we are required to turn in all football game tickets for which we have not received ticket orders. So, if you want to sit with your classmates at the Navy-Notre Dame game, we need to receive your registration form and payment by 1 June.
It is going to be a great reunion. We were recently informed that San Diego's Fleet Week has been rescheduled to coincide with our reunion weekend, so that provides reunion attendees an opportunity to visit some of our modern Navy ships. You will be happy to note that while there have been many changes since our days in the Naval Service, the ships are still painted Navy haze grey!.
Keep tabs on 55th Reunion web page on the Class website but please don't hesitate to call or email If you have any questions.
Best regards,
55th Reunion Committee
psmarsden63@gmail.com
619-318-6364
Dear John-Rex,We had a 55th Reunion Committee meeting recently during which we discussed when/where we could encourage Class of 2013 participation in our reunion events. As you will see in the meeting minutes distributed earlier, we decided to invite you and your classmates to join us at the Tailgate and the Football game on Saturday, 27 October (times TBD). Here are some details about each event. (Note: this applies to 2013 Parents as well.)
Tailgate: As the only class celebrating a milestone reunion, our Class will have a reserved seating section inside the Navy Tailgate tent. (See attached SDCCU Stadium Layout for tent location.) There will be open seating within our reserved section. We recommend that your classmates purchase general admission tickets to the tailgate from the Alumni Association and join us there. (We understand the tickets will be available beginning in May.)
Football Game: Our Class has 800 seats reserved in loge sections 23-26 at $100 apiece that we obtained from the game sponsors. These are excellent seats that we chose specifically for our Class. We expect to have extra tickets available for your classmates. (See attached stadium seating chart.) We are going to assign seating by companies so we could assign your classmates to a group of seats within one of those loge sections. However, please note that your classmates will have to decide and pay for tickets soon as we have to turn back in all unsold tickets by mid-June! A stadium sell-out is expected.
We must still work out how to handle the football game ticket purchases and delivery and let you and your classmates know the procedures. We are working this now and will get back to you shortly.
Please feel free to respond with any questions and needed clarifications. Your comments and recommendations are appreciated. You can be sure the Class of 1963 is excited and fully supports having members of our Link-In-The-Chain Class join us at our 55th Reunion and share in a Navy victory!
Phillip Marsden '63
55th Reunion Chair
.jpg)
Click Here for the minutes.
Click Here for the minutes.
The Jan-Feb 2018 Class of 1963 Shipmate column posted on our class website contained an error. It states that all discounted rooms at the two 55th Reunion hotels are sold out. That is incorrect. There are still discounted rooms at both hotels. This has occurred because the hotel makes more rooms available or classmates make cancellations.Availability of rooms is a very fluid situation, so be sure to check with these two hotels first if you are still looking for rooms. Please use the phone numbers and email addresses provided in the previous postings on the 55th Reunion webpage when requesting reservations or contact Dave Meyers at "dmeyers3@san.rr.com".
Classmates,This email provides a status on hotel room reservations and our policy regarding the purchase of Navy/ND football tickets.
Room Reservations: We have been very busy here trying to resolve the room reservation crises at the Marriott SpringHill Suites hotel which was the subject of our last two emails. We are pleased to announce that the Marriott staff has done everything they can to correct the many problems that came up. They agreed to honor the room requests from all the people who tried and failed to get reservations last weekend. Not only that, they agreed to give everyone the discounted room rate for all room nights including shoulder nights. The end result is that we have about 140 rooms reserved at the SpringHill Suites for the Reunion, all at the discounted rate. Furthermore, Marriott provided an additional 30 rooms at the Residence Inn, their adjoining hotel in the same building, at the same discounted room rate. We have filled about 20 of those 30 rooms to date bringing the total reservations at that property to about 160 rooms.
Bottom Line: If you still need to make a room reservation for the 55th Reunion and want to stay at the Marriott hotel, email Adreinne at "Adrienne.D.Duplesis@marriott.com" with a copy to Dave Meyers at "dmeyers3@san.rr.com" . State that you are a member of the Class of 1963 and include what you want - dates, type beds, etc. Don't delay, these rooms will go fast!
Our other hotel, the DoubleTree Mission Valley, has sold out the 50 rooms that we held for guaranteed rates. They are now accepting room reservations from the general public at comparable rates. You can reserve these rooms at:
"http://doubletree3.hilton.com/en/hotels/california/doubletree-by-hilton-hotel-san-diego-mission-valley-SDGO-DT/index.html"
Navy/Notre Dame Football Tickets: As you know, Navy plays Notre Dame in San Diego on Saturday, October 27, 20018. The game will be played at SDCCU Stadium (formerly Qualcomm Stadium). Along with the tailgate, this game will be the major event on the last day of our 55th Reunion celebration. The San Diego Bowl Game Association (SDBGA) is sponsoring this game and has priced tickets from $50 to $175. (See attached.) We intend to offer game tickets to our reunion attendees through the registration process. Here are some details:
SDBGA has agreed to provide our Class with 800 tickets in group seating for the game. These tickets will be $100 each. (Note: there are no discounted tickets!) Group seating for the Class will be on the Lodge Level, sections 24-26 (See attached). We chose these seats because they provide a good sight line of the field, have full view of the scoreboard and screen, have easy access, provide some overhead shelter from the elements and afternoon sun, and provide easy access to restroom facilities.
Application and payment for tickets will be part of registering for the reunion. Actual tickets will be distributed at the reunion check-in along with the rest of your registration material.
Classmates attending the reunion will be able to purchase up to four (4) tickets each through the registration process. Those classmates wanting more than four tickets will have to obtain them from other classmates or order directly from SDBGA. Tickets ordered directly from SDBGA will not be in the "Class of 63" sections listed above. We intend to group classmates by company in our group seating sections unless you personally request an alternative seating arrangement.
We hope you find this information useful. Please send any additional questions, comments to "psmarsden63@gmail.com".
Looking forward to seeing you at the reunion!
Your 55th Reunion Committee
Classmates,We regret the significant confusion caused by Marriott's poor handling of our room reservation requests. We know that it has been a frustrating weekend for many of you and we are in the process of resolving many of the outstanding issues. The good news is that your response to room reservations for this reunion has been overwhelming! The bad news is that it exceeded our planning estimates and has caused some issues we need your help on. We hope as many of you as possible will be able to attend this reunion, so this email is directed at those of you who have not yet secured a room reservation.
Below is a summary of the current room reservation status at our two reunion hotels and a request for your help going forward.
DoubleTree Mission Valley: Our initial block of 50 rooms for the 3 Reunion nights sold out in a day. Some classmates were able to get discounted rates for shoulder nights.
Marriott SpringHill Suites Bayfront: The hotel staff has been working all weekend to respond to the emails and phone calls received to date from our classmates who could not get the central Marriott reservation system to work. Email confirmations will go out to all. Bottom line: Our initial block of 100 rooms for the 3 reunion nights are now sold out. Classmates have been given shoulder nights at the contract rate.
What we need to know now is how many of you are still interested in getting a room reservations at either of these two hotels. If you fall in that category, we need to hear from you! Please send an email to dmeyers3@san.rr.com with the following information:
Name(s)
Hotel Name
Dates requested (reunion and shoulder)With this information we will try to procure additional rooms to meet your needs at an acceptable rate.
Please send any comments or questions to psmarsden63@gmail.com.
Let us hear from you!
Your Reunion Committee
Dear Classmates and Friends,We regret the problems you are experiencing making room reservations at the Marriott SpringHill Suites Bayfront.
Due to an error in the Marriott reservations system central reservations cannot book reservations for the night of October 27, 2018 at the contract rate. They can process reservations for the 25th and 26th at the contract rate. Until they can fix the computer system, the SpringHill Suites recommends the following procedure for reserving rooms at the Marriott Springhill Suites for all three reunion nights and any shoulder nights:
Step One: Call Marriott central reservations at 800-228-9290 to make room reservations for the "USNA Class of 1963 Reunion" for all three nights, October 25, 26 and 27, 2018. (Note: You should get the reunion rate, $299.37 including taxes, for the 25th & 26th, but, for now, a standard (higher) rack rate for the 27th.
Step Two: After receiving confirmation of your reunion room reservation in step one above, email SpringHill Suites Room Manager Adrienne Duplesis at adrienne.d.duplesis@marriott.com requesting that she adjust your rate for Saturday, 27 October 2018. In addition, you can request she make reservations for any shoulder nights you would like. In your email, please provide the following:
Reunion reservation number from Step One above
Name(s)
"USNA Class of 1963 Reunion"
Shoulder night dates requested(Note: if you did not make a reservation for the 27th and want Adrienne to add the 27th of October to your reservation, add that to your email.)
Again, we deeply regret this snafu and beg your continued patience as we fix the problem. Adrienne will confirm your modified reservations after she makes the fix.
Any further problems, issues, questions, please email "psmarsden63@gmail.com".
Your Reunion Committee
Classmates,Below are the steps we recommend for reserving rooms at the Springhill Suites:
Step One: (For All) Call Marriott central reservations at 800-228-9290 beginning at 9 a.m. PST to reserve a room for the "USNA Class of 1963 Reunion" on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, October 25, 26, 27, 2018. (Note: You should get the reunion rate, $299.37 including taxes, for those 3 nights until we fill the 100 guaranteed rooms. We cannot guarantee the room rates after those 100 rooms are taken.)
Note: Marriott central reservations will not take reservations for the reunion shoulder nights of October 22,23,24 or 28,29,30. If you want reservations for any of the reunion shoulder nights, proceed to the second step.
Step Two: After receiving confirmation of your reunion room reservation in step one above, email SpringHill Suites Room Manager Adrienne Duplesis at adrienne.d.duplesis@marriott.com to reserve rooms for any of the shoulder nights. In your email, please provide the following:
Reunion reservation number from Step One above
Name(s)
"USNA Class of 1963 Reunion"
Shoulder night dates requested
Note: Adrienne will assume you want the same room you reserved for the Reunion in Step One. If not, state what type room you want. Please do not email Adrienne to reserve the three nights of the Reunion as central reservations is in charge of these reservations. We cannot guarantee that you will get a discounted rate for these shoulder nights, but the Marriott has stated that they will do its best to accommodate everyone. Adrienne will email you a confirmation of your reservations.Any problems, issues, questions, please email "psmarsden63@gmail.com".
Hope to see you at the reunion! Good Luck,
The Reunion Committee
Classmates,We have received a number of queries about emerging reunion issues. It appears that Murphy's Law is truly infectious! Here are some updates on hotel room reservations and football tickets:
Hotel Room Reservations
DoubleTree: Please bear with us as we continue to have problems with the DoubleTree room reservation process. In this case the problem is with shoulder nights, specifically Wednesday, 24 Oct. The hotel set up the link to offer three shoulder nights before and after the three reunion nights of 25, 26, 27 Oct. Unfortunately, that special link can only process rooms at the same discounted rate that is guaranteed for the three reunion nights. At this time, the hotel is only prepared to offer that discounted rate for a limited number (~13) of rooms on the shoulder nights. When those 13 rooms are gone, the link shows "unavailable" for that date as the link is not designed to offer those rooms at a different rate. Be assured the hotel does have those rooms available. They have just not yet decided what rate to charge and how to make the system accept those different rates.
We are working with the hotel to fix this problem. We recommend that you make your reservations now for the three reunion nights. We will advise you when and how to make reservations for the now "unavailable" shoulder nights when their system allows.
Marriott SpringHill Suites: Mother Marriott decided to make changes in its room reservation system which changes our room reservation process for the reunion. Bottom line, they will not open reservations for our reunion on 1 November as previously reported. The new date for reunion room reservations at the SpringHill Suites is now Friday, 10 Nov 2017 at 0900 PST. The phone number remains 800-228-9290
Football Game Tickets
The San Diego Bowl Game Association recently announced that they will begin selling tickets to the 2018 Navy/Notre Dame game in the near future. Our Class has been promised at least 400 tickets to this game in group seating in a location of our choosing. We intend to make this group of tickets available to reunion attendees for purchase through the registration process much like was done at our 50th reunion in Annapolis. We are working out the details with the Association at this time and will advise you in the future as to your options.
Feel free to email any questions, comments to "psmarsden63@gmail.com".
Your Reunion Committee
Classmates,Please bear with us as we continue to have problems with the DoubleTree room reservation process. In this case the problem is with shoulder nights, specifically Wednesday, 24 Oct. The hotel set up the link to offer three shoulder nights before and after the three reunion nights of 25, 26, 27 Oct. Unfortunately, that special link can only process rooms at the same discounted rate that is guaranteed for the three reunion nights. At this time, the hotel is only prepared to offer that discounted rate for a limited number (~13) of rooms on the shoulder nights. When those are gone, the link shows "unavailable" for that date as the link is not designed to offer those rooms at a different rate. Be assured the hotel does have those rooms available. They have just not yet decided what rate to charge and how to make the system accept those different rates.
We are working with the hotel to fix this problem. We recommend that you make your reservations now for the three reunion nights. We will advise you when and how to make reservations for the now "unavailable" shoulder nights when their system allows.
Sorry for the confusion.
Phillip
The central Hilton Hotel phone system for making room reservations for the Doubletree Mission Valley will not be in service this Wednesday,contrary to what we told you in our previous email. Do not try to use the phone number we gave you.However, Hilton has established a link that allows making your reservations electronically at the Doubletree Mission Valley for the three nights of the Reunion and up to three nights before or after the reunion at the same rates. This link is available now.
So, if you would like to stay at the Doubletree hotel,we encourage you to make your room reservations now using the link below:
https://aws.passkey.com/go/NAC63
Note: The other Reunion hotel the Marriott SpringHill Suites Bayfront, is still on track to open room reservations next Wednesday,1 November, at 0900 PDST. The Marriott is reunion headquarters and has the largest number of rooms blocked. Additionally, it offers easy access to the USS Midway for our reunion dinner. Plan to use the following phone number for the Marriott's central reservations: 800-228-9290.
If you encounter any problems, please send an email to "psmarsden63@gmail.com".
Good Luck!
Your Reunion Committee
As promised in our last 55th Reunion update, this email addresses the procedure for reserving a hotel room in San Diego for that weekend. Yes, it is more than a year away! However, as is common practice, the two hotels we have booked for reunion attendees begin accepting room reservations about a year in advance of the 25 - 27 Oct 2018 weekend. The Marriott Springhill Suites (our Headquarters hotel) will begin accepting reservations on 1 November 2017, and the Doubletree Mission Valley will accept reservations beginning on 25 October 2017.So, if you plan to attend or are thinking of attending the 55th Reunion AND will need a hotel room - this email is for you! This email will summarize the major events of the reunion, explain why making early room reservations are so important and provides an attachment containing detailed responses to Frequently-Asked-Questions about the two hotels and their booking processes.
Reunion Schedule: The 55th Reunion Committee is excited about the events we have scheduled for this reunion (times are approximate). Here is a summary:
Wednesday 24 October Registration (PM)
Thursday, 25 October Registration all day, Golf (time TBD), Reception/Class Dinner on the USS Midway Museum starting at 6 PM
Friday, 26 October Class Memorial Service at 10 AM, Class Meeting and Luncheon at 1 PM, Company functions that evening
Saturday, 27 October Navy/Notre Dame Tailgate and Football Game (time TBD)
Sunday, 28 October Getaway Day
You can see that this schedule is front loaded with two popular events on Thursday, 25 October. For that reason alone, we strongly urge you to consider arriving a day early. Of course, you may also want to check out this fine city, visit friends in the area, or find other reasons for arriving a few days early and/or staying a few days after the reunion.
Why making early room reservations is important: The short answer is that we are not the only event in town that week. Turns out a major medical convention the week of 22 Oct 2018 has already gobbled up 7000+ rooms in downtown hotels. The vast numbers of Navy and ND alumni coming for the first game of this classic series being played west of the Mississippi will result in great pressure to snap up all vacant hotel rooms in the area. Rest assured, for the nights of 25-27 Oct 2018, the 150 rooms at the two hotels we have guaranteed will be available for your reservations until they are sold out.
A problem may arise, however, if you want to make reservations for room nights before or after the guaranteed reunion dates of 25-27 Oct 2018. These are called "shoulder nights". We do not have any guaranteed rooms or room rates for these shoulder nights. Consequently, if you want to arrive Wednesday, for example, you will have to compete with others trying to find a room at the hotel for those nights. We are concerned that these shoulder night dates will go quickly after the room reservations are opened at each hotel in late Oct/early Nov 2017 for that week in Oct 2018. The dates and procedures to follow in reserving rooms for guaranteed reunion nights and shoulder nights are found in the attached FAQs.
So, if you plan to attend or are thinking of attending the 55th Reunion AND will need a hotel room, we recommend that you do the following:
· Decide which hotel you wish to stay at. (Note: both hotels have very generous cancellation policies.)
· Make a room reservation as soon as possible. (See attachment for dates, times and procedures.)
You will receive the standard reunion registration package early in 2018. In the meantime, many details about this event can be found in the Committee meeting minutes posted on the Class website at: http://www.usna63.org/reunion/55thReunion.html. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or comments.
The 55th Reunion Committee looks forward to having you join us here in San Diego for the 55th Reunion. It will be a very special event!
Click Here for Hotel FAQs.
Quality '63,
Phillip Marsden
Click Here for the Minutes.
Introduction: Fifteen members of the 55th Reunion Planning Committee were present in a club house conference room hosted by Alan and Terry McAnally. Phillip Marsden called the meeting to order and introduced the meeting agenda which included an update to our event planning for the three major reunion Class events - Dinner, Memorial Service and Lunch. Phillip reminded the attendees that there are 16 months until the reunion. In addition to our continued detailed event planning, Phillip emphasized the need to prepare for the opening of room reservations in late Oct. He also reviewed our reunion Goal/Objectives and the draft reunion event schedule. Phillip noted that Golf is firm on Thursday morning whether that is a Class of 63 outing or as part of a Navy-Notre Dame tournament. In addition, to support those classmates arriving early, registration will be held Wednesday afternoon. The late Wednesday afternoon reception is still in the planning stage.In addition, Phillip discussed the way forward as we near the one-year to go point. He would like to prepare a detailed POA&M for the last 12 months. To do that he will need details from each sub-committee chair, in particlar, the timing and magnitude of any expenses. Rough estimates are good at this stage as they can be placeholders for more accurate estimates later. Phillip stressed the need to think through the timeline all the way to the reunion in order to capture all the milestone events and the steps leading up to each milestone. These inputs will be assembled into an integrated POA&M for all to use going forward.
New Action Item: Provide a detailed calendar of planning details from now to the 55th Reunion for your area of responsibility. Capture all milestone due dates and the steps leading up to each decision point. (All sub-committee chairs.)
Hotel Reservations: Members of the Hotel sub-committee have been preparing detailed responses to FAQs regarding the two hotels and their respective reservation policy. What is apparent is that the early reservation policy at each hotel is different and some more investigation is required to understand just what to tell our classmates. The sub-committee will prepare a draft for the full Committee to review and discuss at our next meeting.
Outstanding Action Item: Determine the extent of the Marriott's policy of a discounted $15 on-site parking for Classmates attending reunion events. Does this apply to events not held at the hotel? Marirose reported that the discounted parking fee applied to all Class members attending any reunion event whether they were staying at the Marriott Hotel or not. Completed.
Discussion of the hotel reservation process underscored how important making early reservations will be for that weekend. The combination of the large convention that week and the ever popular Navy/Notre Dame game will put great pressure on finding available rooms. We will emphasize that to our classmates in our next 55th Reunion update. We also realized that we will need to be kept informed of classmate reservation status.
New Action Item: Find out if the hotels will provide us with the names of registered classmates when requested. (Hotel sub-committee)
Transportation: In keeping with our reunion objectives, the Committee's consensus is that transportation for classmates/spouses to/from all Class events should be provided as needed. However, providing full bus transportation to/from all events would cost a total of >$40pp (assuming 400 attendees). As this significant cost must be covered by the reunion registration fee, we must look hard at how best to provide this service cost-effectively.
Dave discussed one option that uses the San Diego Trolley to supplant the need for busses for transportation to/from Thursday's Class Dinner (from Double Tree) and Saturday's Tailgate/Game (from both hotels). One option that used the trolley as an alternative mode of transportation resulted in reducing total transportation costs to approximately $30pp. (Please see attached for details.)
This led to a discussion of the pros/cons of the trolley service to both events. There is no doubt that the trolley offers classmates staying at both hotels a viable option to being tied to the bus schedules. This discussion will be continued.
Dave's detailed responses to his outstanding action items are below.
Action Item: Ask the major hotels how they provide service guests with special transportation needs. Dave talked to each hotel about this issue. Their response was that Uber service was their first choice. In their experience, hotel guests with special mobility challenges make arrangements for special Uber services. Further investigation revealed that Uber may not be that reliable for this service. Action ongoing.
Action Item: Add a query requesting information about special mobility needs to the registration package. Dave provided the following draft:
Question: Do you need special accommodations for mobility or other handicap conditions? Hotels and transportation companies can provide suitable accommodations with advance notification. Please advise any special needs.
Completed. This response was taken for further action by the registration team. (Cargills)
Action Item: Add a survey question requesting interest in bus service to Mt Soledad to the registration package. Dave provided the following draft:
Question: Would you be interested in the committee arranging bus service to visit the Mt Soledad National Veterans Memorial during the reunion. If there is sufficient interest, an approximate three-hour add-on trip will be arranged Friday afternoon after completion of the class memorial service and class lunch. Cost of the bus would be about $10 per person, if we are able to fill the bus. There is no cost for entry to the memorial.
Completed. This response was taken for further action by the registration team. (Cargills)
Hospitality Sub-committee Report: Phillip provided a current status in Grant's absence. The response to Grant's request for input on possible gift items has been minimal. Following an extensive discussion, the Committee members present at the meeting voted unanimously for no registration gifts. The decision on the need for a reunion banner, commemorative posters, etc will be deferred for later discussions when examples and costs can be presented.
Event Planning Status Reports
Class Dinner: Jim Fontana provided a progress report on the Thursday evening Class reception and dinner on the Midway. (See attachment for details.) Highlights include: Flight Deck Reception Overview: Commence slightly before sunset; duration one and one-half hours; No- host bars would serve beer, wine, soda and water; Finger-food will consist of tray passed Hors d'oeuvres
Hanger Bay Dinner Overview: A seated buffet will include three or four identical double-sided food stations.
Desert, salad and dinner rolls would be pre-set on the tables so each guest would have a starter while waiting for access to the buffet.
No-Host Bars would be available
30 minute Bob Hope style review with VN era theme
Drinks: Discussion centered around several significant cost items - Number of bars on the Flight Deck/Hanger Deck and required minimums for each, possible long lines and delays, hosted vs no-host drinks, and no-host wine on the buffet tables. Committee consensus was to:
Add the cost of covering the minimum bar sales to the cost of the event; Include the cost of the first drink (issue a drink ticket) to cut down on delays. Subsequent drinks would be no-host and paid for in cash.
Place 2 bottles, one red & one white, at each table
Costs: Some initial per person cost estimates (based on 400 attendees) result in the following figures:
Midway Rental $7, Buffet $70, Entertainment $6, Bar and beverage underwriting (one drink ticket and table wine) $10 for a total of $93pp.
Additional potential costs could include enhanced flight deck lighting, additional table linens, table decorations, upgraded food options, etc.
Outstanding Action Item: Determine if/how special food needs can be met with the buffet option. In progress. (Jim)
Memorial Service: Alan McAnally presented an update on planning for the Memorial Service at the Fort Rosecrans Cemetery. (See attached.) Some highlights: The overall draft design for the Class plaque has received general approval. Several changes were made based on classmate comments. (See attached.) Additional comments are welcomed. While the major components of the program are in place, we still need action on nominating a principal speaker and lay preachers. The site of our Class lunch at the Admiral Kidd Club will also most likely be our foul-weather venue for the Memorial Service. However, we need to confirm this with the site manager.
Outstanding Action Item: The Committee is asked to provide Alan at Nominations for the principal speaker and lay preachers for the ceremony Comments on design of the plaque and contents - especially the wording of the text
Class Lunch: Marirose Kozak summarized the current status on planning for the Class Lunch at the Adm Kidd Club. There is no change from our last meeting. Lunch will be served to Classmates at open seating tables. Program will be conducted by the Class President. Cost will be less than $40pp
Treasurer Report: Lee Cargill provided an overview of our current status: The $10,000 loan from the Class has covered all of our expenses to date with no real problems foreseen.
The Class dinner, lunch, golf, tailgate and football game will be pay-as-you-go. Registration fee will have to cover the cost for the memorial service, transportation, hospitality suite and miscellaneous expenses. Some highlights of cost estimates to date:
The first estimate of registration fee expenses totaled ~$78pp based on 400 attendees. (See attached.)
Cost savings could be found in:
Transportation (have Mt Soledad shuttle be a pay-as-you go, eliminate shuttle to/from Marriott to Class dinner, utilize San Diego trolley, etc)
Memorial Service (have Class fund cost of plaque) Hospitality (eliminate gifts, eliminate/decrease number of receptions)
As expected, the first draft of potential costs to be covered by the registration fee generated much discussion. The committee consensus is to find ways to reduce the registration fee to the $60-$70 range. This will be an agenda item on all future Committee meetings as we continue to work these costs.
Status of Outstanding Action Items:
Outstanding Action Item: Send out a reunion status report to the Class (Phillip). Completed.
Outstanding Action Item: Send John Ryan, johneryan41@hotmail.com , your list of questions regarding the reunion hotel reservation process. (Committee) Completed.
Outstanding Action Item: Prepare a draft of responses to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) regarding the hotel reservation process (John Ryan). In progress.
Outstanding Action Item: Determine if the Class officers are willing to consider the cost of the plaque to be a Class expense as opposed to a Reunion expense. In progress. (Phillip)
Reunion Planning Committee Structure: The following is the current structure and membership of the 55th Reunion Planning Committee. (Head of a sub-committee is shown by *.) Note: some minor changes have been made by request and by fiat.
Leadership Team: Chuck Stone (Emeritus), Marirose Kozak, Alan McAnally, John Ryan, Jim Fontana, Lee & Sue Cargill, (John-Rex Spivey '13), Phillip Marsden
Deputy/Secretary: Phillip Marsden
Bowl Game Association Liaison Team: John Ryan, Phillip Marsden
Navy/Notre Dame Liaison: Ron Klemick*, Steve Hoy
Hotels: John Ryan*, Dave Meyers, Grant Telfer, Ron Wills, Marirose Kozak
Transportation: Dave Meyers*, John Ryan, Rich Wilson
Tailgate/Game Tickets: Jerry Harken*
Class Dinner: Jim Fontana*, Ted Krohne, Vern Von Sydow, Bill Hughes, Sue Cargill and Jerry Harkin
Class Memorial: Alan McAnally*, John Ryan, Phillip Marsden, Lee Tillotson
Class Lunch: Marirose Kozak*, Dottie Hughes, Chuck Stone, Janet Gushue
Golf: Bill Hughes*
Comms: Leadership Team
Registration/Treasurer: Lee and Sue Cargill*, Jerry Harken
Hospitality/Admin: Grant Telfer*, Bob and Sue Easton, Marirose Kozak, Max and Edith Ricketts, Tim and Valerie Cook, John Ryan, Ron Wills, Lee and Sue Cargill
Bullpen: Jay Roberts, John Pfeiffer
Next Meeting: The next meeting of the 55th Reunion Planning Committee will be in late August,
Here are copies of presentations which offer more details on subjects only summarized in the minutes.
Click Here for the dinner status briefing.Click Here for the memorial service status briefing.
Click Here for the "Registration" status briefing.
Click Here for the sample plaque.
Click Here for the transportation briefing.
June 13, 2017, 2017--USNA '63 55th Reunion Planning Update
Classmates,The time seems to fly by! In just seventeen months we will celebrate our 55th Reunion here in San Diego. Your Reunion Committee continues to fine tune the details of our major reunion events to make this a truly memorable event for all the attendees.
The 55th Reunion weekend, 25-28 Oct 2018, is taking shape as follows: ÷ Thursday, 25 Oct: Registration, Golf, Class dinner on the USS Midway
÷ Friday, 26 Oct: Class Memorial Service, Class Luncheon, company events in the evening
÷ Saturday, 27 Oct: Tailgate, Navy/Notre Dame football
÷ Sunday, 28 Oct: Depart
We anticipate that with the above schedule many of you will want to arrive earlier in the week and possibly stay a few days after. Consequently, we have negotiated contracts with the two reunion hotels to provide the special room rates for three days before and three days after the reunion, given room availability.
Speaking of room reservations, we are approaching the earliest possible date for making room reservations -- one year in advance of the reunion -- at our two reunion hotels: the Marriott SpringHill Suites Bayfront and the Hilton DoubleTree Mission Valley. We are preparing detailed information on each of these hotels and guidance on the reservation process for each. We will send all this info to you in late September of this year so that you can be prepared to make reservations as soon as possible.
We will send out the formal Reunion registration package with the full details and prices about 7-8 months in advance of the reunion. Please note that full minutes from the Reunion Committee meetings are posted on the Class website (http://www.usna63.org/reunion/55thReunion.html) if you are interested in the planning details.
We welcome your comments, recommendations, concerns, etc. Please feel free to contact us at "psmarsden63@gmail.com".
Quality '63,
Class of 1963 55th Reunion Committee
May 24, 2017--Committee chairman Phillip Marsden: Below are the minutes from our most recent meeting. Also are copies of presentations which offer more details on subjects only summarized in the minutes.
Click Here for the committee meeting minutes.Click Here for the dinner status briefing.
Click Here for the memorial service status briefing.
Click Here for the "Hospitality" status briefing.
Click Here for the sample plaque.
Click Here for the transportation briefing.
February 12, 2017--From committee chairman Phillip Marsden: We are 20 months from our 55th Reunion. Planning is now getting into the details of the events. Below are the minutes from our most recent meeting. Also are copies of four presentations which offer more details on subjects only summarized in the minutes.
Click Here for the committee meeting minutes.Click Here for the dinner status briefing.
Click Here for the luncheon status briefing.
Click Here for the memorial service status briefing.
Click Here for the transportation briefing.
January 30, 2017--Dick Kuntz looking for singers
To all my esteemed classmates:I have received an inquiry from Al McAnally about providing music for the memorial service at our 55th reunion. I am asking you all to indicate your interest in joining together as a choir as we did for our 50th gathering to offer our classmates some inspiration through music. No commitments right now; just testing the water. However, if you have any slight idea that you would be interested, please let me know sooner rather than later:
Dick Kuntz, e-mail: richdk@prodigy.net, ph: 703-759-4979, cell: 703-216-0344 332 River Bend Road, Great Falls, VA 22066
Warm regards,
Dick Kuntz
January 13, 2017--55th Reunion Update
Classmates,The Chargers move to LA should have no impact on the Navy/ND game scheduled for 2018. The contract for the Navy/ND game with the local San Diego Bowl Game Association took into account this eventuality. In fact, at this time last year we thought the Chargers were going to move - they just waited a year!
We will carry on our planning to bring the Class a memorable 55th Reunion in 2018.
Happy New Year,
Phillip
November 3, 2016--55th Reunion Update
Two years to go to the 55th! I know it seems like a long way off, but your 55th Reunion committee (see the photo below) has been working hard this past year. And we are glad that we did start so early! It turns out that the weekend of the Navy-Notre Dame game, 25-28 Oct 2018, is also the date for a large medical convention in San Diego. Major conventions book many venues far in advance and are able to obtain a large number of guaranteed rooms at the downtown hotels. Because of this convention, we found that securing event venues and hotel rooms was a challenge.However, we succeeded in finding two good hotels, the Marriott Spring Hill Suites downtown on the harbor and the Hilton DoubleTree several miles away in Mission Valley. These hotels allow reservations only one year in advance so we will tell you more about the hotels and the room reservation process in subsequent reunion updates.
Early on, we decided that to emphasize our Navy ties to San Diego, the famous USS Midway museum would be a wonderful venue for our 55th Reunion Class dinner. Through the efforts of our committee members we were able to secure the exclusive use of the entire ship for a great bargain price! Consequently, our Class dinner will be held on the USS Midway Thursday night, 25 October. You won't want to miss this event!
The 55th Reunion weekend, 25-28 Oct 2018, is beginning to take shape as follows:
÷ Thursday: Registration, Class dinner on the Midway
÷ Friday: Class Memorial Service, Class Luncheon, company events in the evening
÷ Saturday: Tailgate, Navy/Notre Dame football (times TBD)
÷ Sunday: DepartSubsequent updates will provide more detail. You can expect the formal Reunion registration package with the full details and prices about 7-8 months in advance. However, as mentioned above, you will be encouraged to make your hotel room reservations 12 months prior to the reunion. More on that in later updates.
Your 55th Reunion committee will continue to work hard to make this one of the best Class reunions. We welcome your comments, recommendations, concerns, etc. Please feel free to contact us at "psmarsden63@gmail.com ".
September 30, 2016--55th Reunion Updated Survey Results:
Grant Telfer has provided his latest survey results listing the names of respondents by USNA company.This should be of particular interest to each company's webmaster. Click Here to see his list.
April 11, 2016--55th Reunion Survey Results:
Grant Telfer has provided the survey results listing the names of respondents by USNA company.This should be of particular interest to each company's webmaster. Click Here to see his list.
March 16, 2016--If you are having trouble sending in your survey on the website:
Send an email to Grant Telfer with your responses at hooyah55@yahoo.com and he will enter your preferences.
FYI: We are at 268 responses with 67% yes and 21% maybe.
March 2, 2016--Early Response to the Preliminary survey
The following is from Grant Telfer. Response to the survey has been quick and positive.If you haven't replied it will be helpful to the committee to get your preliminary plans in to them ASAP. Don't respond to the survey more than once, but if your plans change an email to Grant would be appropriate. hooyah55@yahoo.com .We have 171 responses to the survey.
Participation holding steady at 68% Yes, 20% Maybe, 12% No.
Lodging responses would total about 125 rooms.
ND v Navy game tickets are at about 270.
Only responses from 6th & 7th Companies are committee members.
Only one response from 3rd, 8th, 13th and 22d companies.
Two widows so far have responded with "Yes".
Over 80% of responses indicated interest in both Memorial Service and Sunday Brunch.We ask for your help in planning this mid-term reunion by responding to a short survey. Click Here or Please copy and paste this address into your browser: http://goo.gl/forms/3M5jDpnhAJ
March 1, 2016--Initial notice of the 55th Reunion and preliminary survey
Dear Classmates, Families, and Friends of the USNA Class of 1963,The USNA Class of 1963 will hold our 55th Class Reunion in San Diego in 2018, to coincide with the Navy / Notre Dame football game that will be held in San Diego for the first time ever. The reunion dates will be Thursday through Saturday, Oct. 25 -27, 2018.
San Diego is a wonderful reunion venue, and is home to many Navy and Marine Corps ships, bases, and units on or in which many classmates have served. The fact that October weather is normally in the 70's with lots of sun makes it a great alternative to the colder weather in much of the country. San Diego's many attractions are legendary and include Balboa Park with its world famous zoo and museums, Wild Animal Park, Sea World, La Jolla shopping, the USS MIDWAY, Maritime museums, "world class" golf courses, nearby wine tasting tours, Padres baseball, beautiful beaches, mountains, great restaurants, and a friendly small town atmosphere with all the big city amenities.
The mid-term reunion held in San Diego in 2011 was successful because of the number of classmates who attended, the choice of a centrally located hotel, the San Diego weather, and the events that were planned. The hotel also provided a private hospitality space enabling classmates to meet for morning coffee and afternoon wine. The 55th Reunion will try to capture all those features with an added bonus - a major football game.
An enthusiastic group of San Diego area classmates is in the preliminary stages of planning. We have tentatively set the reunion location in a downtown hotel on San Diego Bay convenient to many attractions and restaurants. We intend to follow the general four-day format of the Annapolis reunions, with possibly Company get-togethers Thursday night, a heavy hors d'oeuvres cocktail party Friday night (similar to the one held at the 45th), the tailgate and game on Saturday, and possibly a brunch and/or memorial service on Sunday. The hotel threshold will be a three-night minimum stay, with favorable rates extended from three days before to three days after the reunion.
We ask for your help in planning this mid-term reunion by responding to a short survey. Click Here or Please copy and paste this address into your browser: http://goo.gl/forms/3M5jDpnhAJ
Reunions Navigate to: 
